Designing the Cultural Code for Smart & Social Cities

Through inspiring workshops on cross-cultural competencies, value-sensitive design, and co-creation methods, you'll gain the tools to shape more cultural inclusive, connected cities. The program also takes you beyond the classroom, with field trips across the Netherlands and an international project week in Belgium.

You'll document your personal and professional growth in a portfolio and learning diary, which form the heart of your midterm and final assessments. This is your chance to explore what it truly means to design with, and for society.  

This programme offers a vibrant learning community that includes:

• (Guest)lectures
• Workshops
• (Client) pitches
• Expositions
• Coaching sessions

Students will have access to professional prototyping facilities and academic knowledge sources of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences.

Type of assessment:

Assessment includes formative (peer) feedback, a final exposition in Belgium, and a summative assessment consisting of:

• A portfolio demonstrating progress and integration of feedback
• A learning diary reflecting on personal learning outcomes
• A presentation featuring a poster, prototypes, and a video

In this programme, you will develop the following competencies:

Responsible Innovation
You demonstrate how your innovation supports human and democratic values and accounts for ethical and social impacts on diverse communities within the Smart & Social City context.

Interdisciplinary Synthesis
You integrate insights from various disciplines and stakeholders to develop a new understanding of the urban context and identify opportunities for improvement.

Multidisciplinary Crosscultural Collaboration and Communication
You work respectfully with others across cultures, disciplines, and value systems. You appreciate different perspectives and communicate ideas and outcomes clearly to both expert and non-expert audiences.

Adaptive and Innovative Thinking
You show initiative, embrace uncertainty, and experiments with new approaches in response to complex urban challenges.

Critical Self-Reflection
You reflect on your personal growth and your professional role within a multidisciplinary team and critically assess your impact on both the process and the outcome.

Realisation and Evaluation
You deliver a relevant and well-founded professional product or service that meets the needs of users and stakeholders, supported by research, testing, and documentation.

In general, classes, workshops, and guest lectures take place over three days. The remaining time is dedicated to self-study, team meetings, and project work.

A typical week begins with a kick-off and lecture, followed by coaching sessions or design activities, and ends with a concluding session or reflection.

Throughout the programme, students also participate in intensive Pressure Cooker weeks, during which they collaborate on real-world (client) assignments.

After completing your exchange programme at Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, you will receive a:

• Transcript of records